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{{Short description|Somali model, author, actress, and activist (born 1965)}}
{{refimprove|date=December 2008}}
{{Infobox person
{{Inappropriate tone|date=March 2008}}
| name = Waris Dirie
{{Infobox Person
| name = Waris Dirie <br> واريس ديري
| image = Waris Dirie, 2018 during her visit to Sierra Leone.jpg
| image = Waris Dirie.jpg
| caption = Dirie in 2018
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|10|21|df=yes}}
| imagesize = 200px
| birth_place = [[Galkayo]], [[Somalia]]
| caption =
| death_date =
| birth_date = {{birth-year|1965 }} (unverified)
| death_place =
| birth_place = [[Somalia]]
| children = 2
| occupation = Model, UN Special Ambassador (1997-2003), author
| occupation = Model, social activist, author, actress, UN Special Ambassador and lawyer. (1997–2003)
| ethnicity = [[Somali people|Somali]]
| title = Chevalier of the [[Légion d'honneur]]
| children an= Aleeke (born 1997)
| title = Special Ambassador for the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation, Chevalier of the [[Légion d'honneur]]
}}
}}


'''Waris Dirie''' ({{lang-so|''Waris Diriiye''}}, {{lang-ar|واريس ديري}}) (born 1965 in [[Gaalkacyo]], [[Somalia]]) is a [[model (person)|Supermodel]], [[author]] and [[human rights activist]] against [[female genital mutilation|female mutilation (FGM)]]. From 1997 to 2003 she was a UN advocate for the abolition of [[female genital mutilation|FGM]].
'''Waris Dirie''' ({{langx|so|Waris Diiriye}}; born 21 October 1965) is a [[Somalia|Somali]] model, author, actress and human rights activist in the fight against female genital mutilation ([[FGM]]). From 1997 to 2003, she was a [[United Nations|UN]] special ambassador against FGM. In 2002 she founded her own organization in [[Vienna]], the Desert Flower Foundation. She has won numerous awards recognizing her work on eradicating FGM, including the [[Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur]] (2007).

Born in Somalia, she moved to London where she began her modeling career. She was a model for top brands such as [[Chanel]], [[Levi Strauss & Co.|Levi's]], [[L'Oréal]] and [[Revlon]]. As a model, Dirie was the first black woman to appear in an [[Oil of Olay]] advertisement. In 1987, Dirie played a minor role in the [[James Bond]] film ''[[The Living Daylights]]''.

In 1997, at the height of her modeling career, Dirie spoke publicly for the first time with the women's magazine ''[[Marie Claire]]'' about the FGM that she had undergone as a child, and would become a UN special ambassador against FGM that same year. She has created a platform for raising awareness about FGM that includes numerous foundations, campaigns, books, and documentaries. Her first book, ''[[Desert Flower]]'' (1998), is an autobiography that went on to become an international [[bestseller]], selling over 11 million copies worldwide, and inspired the film ''[[Desert Flower (film)|Desert Flower]]'' (2009). She created two foundations: Desert Flower Foundation, an organisation whose goal is to eradicate female genital mutilation worldwide, and the Desert Dawn Foundation, which raises money for schools and clinics in her native Somalia.


==Early life==
==Early life==
Dirie was born as one of twelve children into a nomadic family in 1965 in the area of [[Galkayo]]. Her first name, ''Waris'', means ''desert flower''.
Waris Dirie was born into a [[nomad]]ic clan in Somalia. Her home was a portable hut woven from grass. According to her autobiography, at the age of five, her mother held her down while a local woman mutilated her. Afterwards, she was stitched up tightly, leaving a hole the diameter of a matchstick, which made it nearly impossible to walk. "I felt not complete with myself as a woman. Some days I felt so powerless," she said. "When I think back about that, it still disturbs me. But coming back over that is still the hardest thing for me because you have to learn about yourself, you have to feel comfortable with yourself." Although Dirie survived the procedure, one sister and two cousins did not. Waris ran away from her home because of an arranged marriage at the age of 13.

In her autobiography, Dirie explained how as a four-year-old, she was raped by her cousin.{{Sfn|Zabus|2003|p=67}} After the rape took place, Dirie underwent an [[infibulation]] procedure to remove her labia and suture her vulva, following cultural ideals of purity (''[[Taharah (Ismaili doctrine)|taharah]]'') and shame (''ebwaye'').{{Sfn|Zabus|2003|p=67}} Describing the procedure, Dirie said that she was blindfolded but allowed to experience the procedure with her other senses: "It's like somebody is slicing through the meat of your thigh, or cutting off your arm, except this is the most sensitive part of your body". She also described herself fainting and having an [[out-of-body experience]].{{Sfn|Zabus|2003|p=68}}

At the age of thirteen, she fled through the desert to [[Mogadishu]] in order to escape an arranged marriage to a 60-year-old man. She first stayed there with relatives, although her escape was not tolerated.

One of her uncles, who was then the [[Somalia|Somali]] ambassador to the [[United Kingdom]], was looking for a maid. With the help of her aunt, she convinced her uncle to hire her and take her to London, where she worked at her uncle's house for little pay. After her uncle's four-year term, Dirie left and lived in a number of unstable housing arrangements, later renting a room in a [[YMCA]]. She earned her living as a cleaner in a local [[McDonald's]]. She also began evening classes to learn English.<ref name="Stelconlim">{{cite journal|last=Stellan Consult Limited|title=Desert Flower|journal=Parents|year=2008|issue=265–270|page=76}}</ref><ref name="Stanoystsloa">{{cite book |last=Stange |first=Mary Zeiss |title=Encyclopedia of Women in Today's World, Volume 1 |last2=Oyster |first2=Carol K. |publisher=SAGE |year=2011 |isbn=978-1412976855 |editor-last=Sloan |editor-first=Jane E. |page=402}}</ref>


==Career==
==Career==
===Modeling success===
Dirie fled Somalia at the age of thirteen because her father gave her in marriage to an old man. She escaped the marriage by traveling to her sister's home in [[Mogadishu]], Somalia. Then she moved with her uncle, a former Somali [[ambassador]], to [[London]] and worked as his maid. She hid her passport when he was going to return her and ended up staying in Britain illegally, surviving by scrubbing floors at [[McDonald's]].<ref>Dirie, Waris, "Desert Dawn," Virago Press, 2003</ref>
Aged 18, Dirie was by chance discovered by photographer Mike Goss, as she stood waiting for her charge outside of his daughter's school. Through getting the children to translate for them, Goss persuaded Dirie to model for him. Afterwards, he helped her get a portfolio together and get her representation, although a lot of modelling agencies claimed there was 'no call for black models'. One of her first modelling jobs was for [[Terence Donovan (photographer)|Terence Donovan]], who photographed her in 1987 together with the then still unknown model [[Naomi Campbell]] for the title of the [[Pirelli Calendar]]. From there, Dirie's modeling career took off, she soon became a successful model, appearing in advertisements for top brands such as [[Chanel]], [[Levi Strauss & Co.|Levi's]], [[L'Oréal]] and [[Revlon]].<ref name="Stelconlim"/><ref name="Stanoystsloa"/>


As a model, Dirie was the first black woman to appear in an [[Oil of Olay]] advertisement.{{Sfn|Zabus|2003|p=71}} She has described the [[catwalk]] as her favorite part of modeling, but she has a lesser opinion of the casting process, which she described as "mostly about disappointment".{{Sfn|Zabus|2003|p=71}} Because of her previous nomadic lifestyle, coupled with the poor nutrition she had at the time, she developed [[bowed legs]]. By the time she considered surgery to have them fixed, her bones had set and surgery was not an option. Over time, she incorporated her legs into her identity, coming to see them as an identifier of her nomadic history and of her African heritage.{{Sfn|Zabus|2003|p=71}} In 1987, Dirie played a minor role in the [[James Bond]] film ''[[The Living Daylights]]''. She also appeared on the [[Runway (fashion)|runways]] of London, [[Milan]], Paris and New York City, and in fashion magazines such as ''[[Elle (magazine)|Elle]]'', ''[[Glamour (magazine)|Glamour]]'' and ''[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]]''. This was followed in 1995 by a [[BBC]] documentary entitled ''A Nomad in New York'' about her modeling career.<ref name="Stelconlim" /><ref name="Stanoystsloa" />
By chance, she was discovered by Starphotographer [[Terence Donovan (photographer)|Terence Donovan]], who put her face on the cover of the 1987 [[Pirelli]] calendar. From there, her career took off, being placed in ads for designers such as [[Chanel]], [[Levi's]], [[L'Oréal]] or [[Revlon]]. "It's very sad that I had to make the choice to leave my country and at the same time I did not want to leave," she said. "Africa is different. I was young. I had nothing to worry about. I had my family, I had my animals, I had my simple life. It was beautiful."


===FGM activism and authorship===
In [[1987 in film|1987]], Waris played a minor role in the [[James Bond|Bond]] movie ''[[The Living Daylights]]''. She also appeared on the [[Runway (fashion)|runways]] of London, [[Milan]], [[Paris]] and [[New York City]] and in fashion magazines such as [[Elle]], [[Glamour]] and [[Vogue]]. In 1995 the [[BBC]] produced the documentary ''A Nomad in New York'' about her career.
After experiencing painful [[menstruation]], Dirie sought the advice of several doctors, but she declined to speak about the [[female genital mutilation]] that she had endured as a child. She eventually saw a doctor to have her vulva reopened.{{Sfn|Zabus|2003|p=69}} From that point, she no longer found menstruation or urination painful.{{Sfn|Zabus|2003|p=70}} She described the change as a "new freedom".{{Sfn|Zabus|2003|p=69}} In 1997, at the height of her modeling career, Dirie spoke for the first time with Laura Ziv of the women's magazine ''[[Marie Claire]]'' about the FGM that she had undergone as a child,<ref name="Stelconlim" /><ref name="Stanoystsloa" /> at the age of five along with her two sisters.<ref name="Iwdass">{{cite news|last=Wendlandt|first=Astrid|title=International Women's Day absurd says supermodel|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-waris-dirie-women-idUSTRE62755A20100308|access-date=2 April 2014|newspaper=Reuters|date=8 March 2010}}</ref> That same year, Dirie became a [[United Nations|UN]] envoy for the abolition of FGM. She later paid her mother a visit in her native Somalia.<ref name="Stelconlim" /><ref name="Stanoystsloa" /> She instructed her mother to intervene if anyone she knew were to undergo FGM, and her mother eventually asked for her forgiveness for subjecting her to the treatment.<ref>{{Cite news |title=My mother said 'forgive me' for my FGM |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-africa-64570901 |access-date=2023-09-25}}</ref>


In 1998, Dirie coauthored her first book along with nonfiction author [[Cathleen Miller]]:<ref>{{cite web |title=DESERT FLOWER |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/waris-dirie/desert-flower/ |website=Kirkus Reviews |access-date=13 July 2018}}</ref> ''[[Desert Flower]]'', an autobiography that went on to become an international [[bestseller]].<ref name="Stelconlim"/> Over 11 million copies have been sold worldwide to date, 3 million in [[Germany]] alone. She later released other successful books including ''Desert Dawn'', ''Letter to My Mother'' and ''Desert Children'', the latter of which was launched in tandem with a [[European Union|European]] campaign against FGM. Dirie published her second autobiography, ''Desert Dawn'', in 2002, four years after her first.{{Sfn|Zabus|2003|p=61}} The same year, she founded the Desert Flower Foundation in [[Vienna]]. The foundation collects money to raise awareness about the worldwide problem of FGM and to help those affected. In the same year, she received the [[Corine Literature Prize]].
In 1997, at the height of her modeling career, Waris Dirie spoke for the first time about her mutilation with Laura Ziv from the fashion magazine [[Marie Claire]] and received a worldwide media coverage. The same year she became UN advocate for the abolition of [[female genital mutilation|FGM]]. Furthermore she visited her mother in 1997 and her family in the year 2000 during the [[Somalia|Somali Civil War]]. In 1998 her first book ''Desert Flower'' was published and became an international [[Bestseller|bestseller]]. <ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,300618,00.html Somalia's Desert Flower]</ref> Other books by Waris Dirie are ''Desert Dawn'' and ''Desert Children'', with which she started a European campaign against FGM. In 2002 she founded the [http://www.waris-dirie-foundation.com/|''Waris Dirie Foundation''] in [[Vienna]], [[Austria]]. The Foundation collects money for charity projects in [[Somalia]], [[Senegal]] and [[Sudan]]. In March 2005 she became an Austrian citizen. In 2006 the [[European Union]] put FGM on its agenda, many European countries passed more rigorous laws against FGM and prevention projects were initiated. In 2007 Waris Dirie also starts a campaign with [[Scotland Yard]] and the BBC in [[Great Britain]].<ref>[http://cbsnews.com/stories/2007/07/11/world/main3043565.shtml Britain Fights Female Genital Mutilation]</ref>


In 2004, she received the World Social Award by [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] at the Women's World Award Gala in [[Hamburg]], Germany.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20040604_OTS0292/die-womens-world-awards-preistraegerinnen-2004-stehen-fest|title=Die WOMEN´S WORLD AWARDS-Preisträgerinnen 2004 stehen fest|website=OTS.at}}</ref> Dirie opened the World Conference against FGM in [[Nairobi]], delivered a much-noticed speech, and published for the first time the Waris-Dirie Manifesto against FGM. The [[Austrians|Austrian]] Federal President [[Heinz Fischer]] awarded her the Romero Prize on behalf of the Austrian Catholic Men's Movement. In 2006, she addressed the assembled ministers of all EU Member States in [[Brussels]]. The European Union then put the fight against female genital mutilation on its agenda, after which laws were tightened up and preventive measures initiated in many European countries. In 2007, the Arab channel [[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] invited Waris Dirie to the popular talk show by [[Riz Khan]]. She spoke for the first time on an Arab channel in front of over 100 million viewers about the taboo topic "Female Genital Mutilation".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xq6ncg|title=Riz Khan- FGM Waris Dirie- 02 August 07 - video Dailymotion|first=Al Jazeera|last=English|website=Dailymotion|date=17 April 2012}}</ref>
Dirie now lives in Vienna, Austria, but she still feels the contrasts between the West and her war-torn home. "Here it seems like it is chaos forever and I'm trying to sit down for a moment and there's no time for that," she laughed. "In Somalia we don't have clocks so we don't care what time it is. But in the West, everything is money-money, power, sucking, sucking away. It is never enough."


In 2009, [[Desert Flower (film)|Desert Flower]], a feature-length film based on Waris' book ''Desert Flower'' was released, with the [[Ethiopia]]n supermodel [[Liya Kebede]] playing her.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Katja |last=Hofmann |url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117980606.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2564/ |title=Model Liya Kebede to star in 'Flower' |magazine=Variety.com |date=2008-02-09 |access-date=2014-04-17}}</ref> Directed by [[Sherry Hormann]], the film was produced by Oscar winner Peter Herrmann. [[Benjamin Herrmann]] and Waris Dirie were co-producers. The movie has so far been released in 20 countries including [[France]], [[Spain]], [[Israel]], [[Greece]], [[Poland]] and [[Brazil]]. In January 2010, it won the [[Bavarian Film Awards]] in Munich in the "Best Movie" category.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filminstitut.at/de/wuestenblume/ |title=Wüstenblume – A-Z – Filme – Österreichisches Filminstitut |publisher=Filminstitut.at |access-date=2012-02-20}}</ref> It was also nominated for a Film Award in Gold in the "Outstanding Feature Film" category at the [[German Film Awards]], and won the Audience Award in the "Best European Film" category at the [[San Sebastián International Film Festival]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1054580/awards|title=Desert Flower|website=[[IMDb]]|access-date=10 July 2017}}</ref>
Her son ''Aleeke'' lives with his father, the American jazz musician Dana Murray, in the USA.


In 2010, Dirie was appointed Ambassador of Peace and Security in Africa by the [[African Union]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.afronline.org/?p=6927|title=AU appointed peace ambassadors for Africa|work=Afronline – The Voice Of Africa|access-date=2019-09-13|archive-date=2022-11-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221125092550/http://www.afronline.org/?p=6927|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Contrary to popular belief Waris is not related to fellow [[Somalia|Somali]] model [[Iman (model)|Iman]].<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/STYLE/9512/waris/ Waris: From Somalia to modeling] ''[[CNN|CNN.com]]'' [[December 6]], [[1995]], [[Janine Sharell]]</ref>. In her book Desert Flower, Waris states that Iman's mother was good friends with Waris's aunty, with whom Waris once lived with in London.


==Humanitarian work==
==Humanitarian work and campaigns==
Dirie has campaigned extensively to draw attention to female genital mutilation. In 2002 Dirie founded the Desert Flower Foundation in Vienna, an organisation whose goal is to eradicate female genital mutilation worldwide. The Foundation's work is financed by donations. She also started the Desert Dawn Foundation, which raises money for schools and clinics in her native Somalia,<ref name="Stanoystsloa"/> and supports the Zeitz Foundation, an organization focused on [[sustainable development]] and [[Conservation biology|conservation]].
In 1997, Waris Dirie quit modelling to focus on her work against [[female genital mutilation]]. That year UN Secretary-General [[Kofi Annan]] appointed her Special Ambassador for the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation.<ref>[http://www.un.org/advocates/2000/bios.htm Messengers of Peace and Goodwill Ambassadors at the United Nations] - [[23 October]] [[2000]]</ref>


In January 2009 Dirie became a founding member of the ''PPR Foundation for Women’s Dignity and Rights'', an organization of French tycoon [[François-Henri Pinault]] (CEO of [[PPR (company)|PPR]]) and his wife, [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]] actress [[Salma Hayek]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ppr.com/front__sectionId-592_Changelang-en.html |title=PPR Foundation for Women's Rights and Dignity |publisher=Ppr.com |date=2014-02-21 |access-date=2014-04-17}}</ref> In 2010, she campaigned with "Stop FGM Now" in collaboration with the Berlin agency Heymann Brandt de Gelmini.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.horizont.net/agenturen/nachrichten/-Heymann-Brandt-De-Gelmini-engagiert-sich-gegen-Genitalverstuemmelung-90098|title=Heymann Brandt De Gelmini engagiert sich gegen Genitalverstümmelung|website=www.horizont.net}}</ref> This initiative was awarded the prize for "Best NGO Social Media Campaign" by the [[German Federal Government]]. "Together for African Women" followed in 2011, a collaboration with the Hamburg agency Jung von Matt and the laundry label Mey.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.horizont.net/marketing/nachrichten/-Wuestenblume-Autorin-Waris-Dirie-praesentiert-Dessous-fuer-Mey-97074|title="Wüstenblume"-Autorin Waris Dirie präsentiert Dessous für Mey|website=www.horizont.net}}</ref>
Her autobiographical novel ''[[Desert Flower]]'', which tells the story of her own childhood and genital mutilation, has been printed in numerous languages and topped best-seller lists in Europe.<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,901020715-300618,00.html Somalia's Desert Flower] ''[[Time (magazine)|TIME]]'' [[July 7]] [[2002]] By HELEN GIBSON </ref><ref>[http://www.waris-dirie-foundation.com/web/e_index.htm Waris Dirie Foundation]</ref>


After the rescue of ''Desert Flower'' Safa from FGM in 2014, the sponsorship programme "Save A Little Desert Flower" was launched.
In 2007 she received the Chevalier de la [[Légion d'honneur]] for her humanitarian work.<ref>[http://www.elysee.fr/elysee/elysee.fr/francais/salle_de_presse/2007/juillet/remise_de_decoration_le_12_juillet.79067.html Communiqué de la Présidence de la République annonçant la remise de décoration par M. Nicolas SARKOZY, Président de la République.] ''[[Élysée Palace]]'', [[July 11]], [[2007]].</ref>


In March 2019 came the much-acclaimed campaign "End FGM" with the British lingerie label Coco de Mer. Dirie posed for the company's collection (as the successor to [[Pamela Anderson]]) and was staged by photographer Rankin<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fashionweekdaily.com/waris-dirie-coco-de-mer-rankin/|title=Waris Dirie, Coco de Mer, and Rankin Are Fighting for Women's Rights|date=March 7, 2019|website=Daily Front Row}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/waris-dirie-anti-fgm-campaign|title=Model And Activist Waris Dirie Calls On Women To Join The Fight To End FGM|website=British Vogue|date=7 March 2019 }}</ref> Rankin also produced the campaign's short film. The initiative was awarded the if Social Impact Prize 2019 by the iF International Forum Design<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ifworlddesignguide.com/collections/winner-collections/supported-by-if-projects-2019|title=Supported by iF projects 2019|website=iF WORLD DESIGN GUIDE}}{{Dead link|date=February 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> headquartered in Hanover and was supported with prize money. For Dirie the photo shoot with Rankin in London was a comeback as a model.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/culture/a26795610/waris-dirie-europes-fgm-rates-are-rising/|title=Waris Dirie: Europe's FGM rates are rising and we must fight it|first=Waris|last=Dirie|date=March 12, 2019|magazine=Harper's BAZAAR}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kurier.at/freizeit/comeback-von-waris-dirie-musical-und-dessous-im-namen-der-wuestenblume/400446733|title=Comeback von Waris Dirie: Musical und Dessous im Namen der "Wüstenblume"|website=kurier.at|date=26 March 2019 }}</ref>
==Incidents==
===Attack===
Waris Dirie was attacked in March 2004 at her home in Vienna. Then aged 40, she had moved from her flat in Cardiff to escape the persecution of a 26-year-old Portuguese stalker who had become convinced that she loved him.


===Desert Flower Centers===
Paulo Augusto was in custody after apparently following her 1,000 miles across Europe and gaining access to her apartment by climbing through a neighbour's window. "She was so frightened and in shock that she let him in," a police spokesman, Harald Hofmayer, said. Dirie suffered minor injuries when her assailant threw her to the floor, he added. The attacker left in a taxi, only to return later on foot and smash one of the building's ground-floor windows. He was arrested when neighbours called the police.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/austria/article/0,,1166704,00.html Guardian News article, Somalian-born author attacked by stalker]</ref>
There are a number of Desert Flower centers throughout Europe:
*On 11 September 2013, Dirie as patron opened the world's first holistic medical center for the treatment and care of FGM victims in [[Berlin]] together with the Waldfriede Hospital as a cooperation hospital of the Desert Flower Foundation. The Desert Flower Center<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dfc-waldfriede.de/|title=Desert Flower Center Waldfriede, DFC Berlin|website=www.dfc-waldfriede.de}}</ref> was awarded the ''Louise Schroeder Medal'' by the State of Berlin in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.parlament-berlin.de/de/Meldungen/Louise-Schroeder-Medaille-2016|title=Abgeordnetenhaus von Berlin – Louise-Schroeder-Medaille 2016|website=www.parlament-berlin.de|date=9 March 2016 }}</ref>
*In 2014, the ''Desert Flower Surgical Training Center'' for surgeons, gynaecologists, urologists and nursing staff was established in [[Amsterdam]] together with the Desert Flower Foundation BENELUX.
*The ''Desert Flower Center Scandinavia'' was established in 2015 in cooperation with the [[Karolinska University Hospital]] in [[Stockholm]].
*In 2017 the ''Centre Fleur du Desert'' opened with the ''Fondation Fleur du Desert'' in the women's shelter at the Hôpital Delafontaine in Paris Saint-Denis. The ''Centre Fleur du Desert'' was visited by French President [[Emmanuel Macron]] in December 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.desertflowerfoundation.org/fr/nouvelles-detailles/quel-honneur-le-president-francais-au-centre-fleur-du-desert.html|title=Quel honneur! Le Président Français au Centre Fleur du Désert - Desert Flower Foundation|website=www.desertflowerfoundation.org}}</ref>


===Education projects in Sierra Leone===
The suspect had met Dirie six months earlier when his brother was working at her previous residence in [[Wales]], police said. He later broke into that home and stole items of her clothing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/wales/3502870.stm|title=Model's stalker had previous arrests|work=BBC News|date=[[March 11]], [[2004]]|accessdate=2008-02-15}}</ref>
In 2016 Dirie and the team of the Desert Flower Foundation decided to make the topic "Education in Africa" the focus of their work. Through the sponsorship project "Save A Little Desert Flower" 1,000 girls could be saved from FGM in Sierra Leone.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globeafrique.com/desert-flower-foundation-increases-global-awareness-about-fgm-makes-impact-in-west-africa/|title=Desert Flower Foundation increases global awareness about FGM, makes impact in West Africa}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.welt.de/print/die_welt/hamburg/article190389513/Die-Wueste-bebt.html|title=Die Wüste bebt|first=Huberta von|last=Voss|newspaper=Die Welt |date=March 16, 2019|via=www.welt.de}}</ref> The construction of the first three "Desert Flower schools" in Sierra Leone was announced in early 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.desertflowerfoundation.org/en/news-detail/first-desert-flower-school-is-at-the-heart-of-our-educational-initiative.html|title=First "Desert Flower School" is at the heart of our educational initiative - Desert Flower Foundation|website=www.desertflowerfoundation.org}}</ref> Diries Desert Flower Foundation is also building a "Safe House", where FGM victims find refuge and protection. There is also a library and a computer centre. In addition, 10,000 copies of Waris Dirie's reading book "My Africa - The Journey" with Desert Flower educational boxes will be distributed to 34 schools in Sierra Leone.


==Awards==
===Disappearance in Brussels===
Dirie has received many prizes and awards for her humanitarian work and books including:
In the early hours of Wednesday, [[March 5]], [[2008]], she went missing for 3 days in [[Brussels, Belgium]].<ref>Associated Press, "[http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/03/07/belgium.model.ap/index.html? Model, rights campaigner goes missing]", [[CNN.com]], [[March 7]], [[2008]]. Accessed [[March 7]], [[2008]]</ref> She was found alive on Friday, [[March 7]], [[2008]] by a plainclothes Brussels policeman<ref>[http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jhYgel4l6oCKVGQDb7vX3YCgG0vAD8V8OPCG1 Ex-Model Waris Dirie Found in Brussels]</ref>, in the presence of a local window cleaner. He told press, that the couple met in a pub and were planning to spend dinner together.<ref>[http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=HM1P3IP8 'We gingen een leuke avond beleven'] {{nl icon}}</ref> Dirie could not give an explanation over what happened, and only said that she was lost, and couldn't find her way back to her hotel. Since she had no money on her, she had been sleeping in hotel lobbies.
Afterwards, she declared that she was kidnapped for two days by a taxi driver and the story of having been lost was to keep the press from asking her too many questions. She also knew the window cleaner for less than an hour.<ref>[http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3181988,00.html Ex-Supermodel Activist Says Taxi Driver Abducted Her]</ref> A few days later, she again changed her story and told Austrian media that she was kidnapped and held by a taxi-driver who tried to rape her.{{Fact|date=September 2008}} She also said that the Brussels police refused to help her.{{Fact|date=December 2008}}


*''Woman of the Year Award'' (1998) by ''Glamour'' magazine.<ref>{{cite web |title=30 Years of WOTY: Unforgettable Moments From Every Glamour Women of the Year Awards |url=https://www.glamour.com/story/women-of-the-year-history |website=glamour.com |date=6 October 2020 |access-date=23 February 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://women.mg.co.za/waris-dirie-female-genital-mutilation-is-pure-violence-against-girls/|title=Waris Dirie: 'Female genital mutilation is pure violence against girls'|access-date=10 July 2017}}</ref>
==Bibliography==
*''Corine Award'' (2002) of the umbrella association of the German bookselling trade.<ref>[http://www.corine.de/chronik/detail.php?id=28&year=2002 Corine Award] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425170058/http://www.corine.de/chronik/detail.php?id=28&year=2002 |date=2019-04-25 }} Corine Award 2002 Waris Dirie for ''Desert Dawn''</ref>
Dirie has published three autobiographical books:
*''Women's World Award'' (2004) from former President of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.womensworldawards.com/ |title=Women's World Awards |publisher=Womensworldawards.com |access-date=2014-04-17}}</ref>
*''Bishop [[Óscar Romero]] Award'' (2005) by the Catholic Church.
*''[[Légion d'honneur|Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur]]'' (2007) from former President of France, [[Nicolas Sarkozy]].<ref>[http://www.elysee.fr/recherche/search.php?q=Waris&recherche_valider.x=46&recherche_valider.y=14 Communiqué de la Présidence de la République annonçant la remise de décoration par M. Nicolas SARKOZY, Président de la République] July 12, 2007.</ref>
*''Prix des Générations'' (2007) by the World Demographic Association.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webcast-ag.ch/wdassociation/dcpage.aspx?recid=99|title=World Demographic Association|access-date=10 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090604195843/http://www.webcast-ag.ch/wdassociation/dcpage.aspx?recid=99|archive-date=2009-06-04|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*''Martin Buber Gold Medal'' from the Euriade Foundation (2008),<ref>[http://www.euriade.net/martinbuber.html Martin Buber Foundation] Martin Buber Gold Medal 2007 for Waris Dirie</ref> founded by [[Werner Janssen]] in 1981.
*''Gold medal of the President of the Republic of Italy'' (2010) for her achievements as a human rights activist.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://club.quotidiano.net/martina/la_top_model_somala_waris_dirie_chiedo_aiuto_al_papa_per_salvare_le_bambine_africane_dallinfibulazione |title=La top model somala Waris Dirie: "Chiedo aiuto al Papa per salvare le bambine africane dall'infibulazione" &#124; Blog Quotidiano.net |publisher=Club.quotidiano.net |access-date=2012-02-20 |archive-date=2011-07-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724024817/http://club.quotidiano.net/martina/la_top_model_somala_waris_dirie_chiedo_aiuto_al_papa_per_salvare_le_bambine_africane_dallinfibulazione |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*''Thomas Dehler Prize'' (2013) of the Thomas Dehler Foundation, presented by [[Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://diepresse.com/home/kultur/literatur/1427722/ThomasDehlerPreis-2013-geht-an-Waris-Dirie|title=Thomas-Dehler-Preis 2013 geht an Waris Dirie|date=July 8, 2013|website=Die Presse}}</ref>
*''Woman Of The Year Campaigning Award'' (2013) in London presented by Sacla
*''International Freedom Prize'' (2014) presented at the [[House of Lords]] in London by British Minister [[Lynne Featherstone]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-fgm-dirie-idUSKBN0L22LD20150129|title=Ex-supermodel Waris Dirie says FGM can end in her lifetime|newspaper=Reuters |date=January 29, 2015|via=www.reuters.com}}</ref>
*''Women for Women Award'' (2017), awarded in Vienna by the magazine "look!<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://diepresse.com/home/leben/mensch/5329977/Auch-in-Oesterreich-ein-Problem_Kaempferin-fuer-Rechte-von-Maedchen|title="Auch in Österreich ein Problem": Kämpferin für Rechte von Mädchen|date=November 29, 2017|website=Die Presse}}</ref>
*''Donna dell'Anno'' (2018) in Italy<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lastampa.it/aosta/2018/03/16/news/waris-dirie-isoke-aikpitanyi-e-margarita-meira-sono-tre-le-donne-dell-anno-2018-1.33992558|title=Waris Dirie, Isoke Aikpitanyi e Margarita Meira: sono tre le Donne dell'anno 2018 - La Stampa|date=March 16, 2018|website=lastampa.it}}</ref>
*''Million Chances Award'' (2018) donated by the Fritz Henkel Foundation<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.express.de/duesseldorf/schwarzkopf--million-chances-award---wuestenblume--waris-dirie-wird-ausgezeichnet-31555340|title=Schwarzkopf "Million Chances Award": "Wüstenblume" Waris Dirie wird ausgezeichnet|first=Paulina|last=Meissner|date=November 7, 2018|website=Express.de}}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
*''[[Sunhak Peace Prize]]'' (2019) for her commitment to women's rights, awarded in Seoul.<ref>{{Cite press release|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-sunhak-peace-prize-for-2019-awarded-to-waris-dirie-and-dr-akinwumi-ayodeji-adesina-300751977.html|title=The Sunhak Peace Prize for 2019 Awarded to Waris Dirie and Dr. Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina|first=The Sunhak Peace Prize|last=Committee|website=www.prnewswire.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20190209_OTS0028/der-in-seoul-veranstaltete-sunhak-peace-prize-fuer-2019-wurde-an-akinwumi-ayodeji-adesina-und-waris-dirie-verliehen|title=Der in Seoul veranstaltete Sunhak Peace Prize für 2019 wurde an Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina und Waris Dirie verliehen|website=OTS.at}}</ref>


===Desert Flower===
==Personal life==
Contrary to popular belief, Dirie is not related to fellow [[Somali people|Somali]] model [[Iman (model)|Iman]]. In her book ''Desert Flower'', Dirie states that Iman's mother was good friends with her aunt, a relative with whom she once lived during her time in London.
{{main|Desert Flower}}
First in the series, Desert Flower tells Dirie's story of enduring female circumcision; fleeing through the desert; being discovered by Terence Donovan and becoming a top fashion model. Written in collaboration with Cathleen Miller; published in 1999 by [[HarperCollins Publishers]] and republished in several languages.


Since 2009 Dirie has lived in [[Gdańsk]], Poland. She also lived temporarily in Vienna. She is the mother of two sons, Aleeke and Leon. Since March 2005, Dirie has held Austrian citizenship.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.n-tv.de/archiv/Diries-neue-Staatsbuergerschaft-article91338.html|title=Diries neue Staatsbürgerschaft|first=n-tv|last=NACHRICHTEN|website=n-tv.de}}</ref>
===Desert Dawn===
===Attack and disappearance===
A sequel to Desert Flower, describing how Dirie became a UN Special Ambassador against female genital mutilation (FGM) and returned to her family in Somalia. Written in collaboration with Jeanne D'Haem; published in 2003 by Virago Press, Limited.
In March 2004, Dirie was attacked in her home in Vienna. A 26-year-old [[Portugal|Portuguese]] man was held in custody after having apparently stalked her 1,000 miles across Europe, eventually gaining access to her apartment by climbing through a neighbour's window. "She was so frightened and in shock that she let him in," a police spokesman said. Dirie apparently suffered minor injuries when her assailant threw her to the floor. The attacker then left in a taxi, only to return later to smash one of the building's ground-floor windows. He was arrested when neighbours called the police<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/austria/article/0,,1166704,00.html "Somalian-born author attacked by stalker"], ''The Guardian'', 11 March 2004.</ref> and was later given a five-month suspension. It was reported that the suspect had met Dirie six months earlier when his brother was working at her previous residence in Wales. He later broke into that home and stole items of her clothing.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/wales/3502870.stm Model's stalker had previous arrests] BBC News, March 11, 2004.</ref>


In another incident in early March 2008, Dirie went missing for three days while staying in Brussels. She was found by a Brussels policeman.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/people/2008-03-07-belgium-model_N.htm |title=Ex-model Waris Dirie found in Brussels |date=7 March 2008 |website=usatoday30.usatoday.com|access-date=2019-09-19}}</ref>
===Desert Children===

Third in the series, Desert Children reveals how Dirie and journalist [[Corinna Milborn]] investigated the practice of FGM in Europe. Written with Corinna Milborn, translation by Sheelagh Alabaster; published in 2007 by [[Time Warner]] UK.
==Filmography, books and a musical==

===Films===
*''[[The Living Daylights]]'' (1987) - In the 15th James Bond film, Dirie plays Waris Walsh in a supporting role.
*''A Nomad in New York'' (1995) - BBC documentary about the career of Waris Dirie.
*''[[Desert Flower (film)|Desert Flower]]'' (2009) - drama based on her autobiographical novel and bestseller.

===Books===
*''[[Desert Flower]]'' (1998) with Cathleen Miller
:The book that describes Dirie's genital mutilation, her adventurous escape through the Somali desert and the rise to a world-famous supermodel, becomes an international bestseller and appears in over 50 licensed editions. Over 11 million copies have been sold worldwide to date, 3 million in Germany alone (number 1 on the ''Spiegel'' bestseller list from 11 to 17 January and from 25 January to 18 July 1999).
*''Desert Dawn'' (2002) with Jeanne D’Haem
:20 years after her escape, Dirie decides to visit her family in Somalia. A dangerous adventure, as Somalia has been plagued by civil war and famine for years. Her second book, which will also become an international bestseller (first place on the ''Spiegel'' bestseller list from 8 to 28 April and from 13 May to 23 June 2002), describes the trip to her home country.
*''Desert Children'' (2005)
:With her third book Dirie starts a Europe-wide campaign against FGM. Genital mutilation is not only practiced in Africa, but also in the western world. It reports on encounters with victims and perpetrators, on their research, setbacks and successes.
*''Letter to my mother'' (2007)
:Dirie says about this book on the website of the Desert Flower Foundation: "This is my most personal book. There are simply wounds that don't want to heal. My longing was great to meet my mother again, to forgive my mother, but I had to realize that love and suffering are often inextricably linked. Working on this book was a painful but vital experience for me."
*''Schwarze Frau, weißes Land'' (2010)
:In this book Dirie talks about her life in her new, white homeland - and about her longing for Africa and her deep desire to help her home continent free itself from poverty, outdated traditions and dependence.
*''Saving Safa'' (2013)
:Little Safa comes from a bitterly poor family in Djibouti. Raised in a slum, she is selected for the role of little Waris Dirie in the biopic of the world bestseller ''Desert Flower''. The dramatic scene, in which the little girl is violently circumcised, makes people cry in cinemas all over the world. In real life, Safa is still intact. Dirie is all the more horrified when she hears that Safa's genital mutilation is imminent. And she does everything in her power to save the girl from this cruel practice.
*''My Africa - The Journey'' (2017)
:Together with her Desert Flower Foundation team, Dirie publishes her first reading book for children at African schools. The book tells the story of the little "desert flower" Waris and her brother Mo, who go on a journey together to discover their home continent Africa. On their adventures they get to know the flora and fauna of Africa. In addition to the story, the book also contains numerous writing exercises, which are intended to promote the reading and writing skills of children.

===Musical===
On 7 March 2019, in the presence of Waris Dirie, it was announced at a press conference at a theatre [[St. Gallen]], [[Switzerland]] that her extraordinary life story would become a musical.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-women-rights-fgm-idUSKCN1QO22X|title=Model turned activist Waris Dirie says world is ignoring the crime...|newspaper=Reuters |date=March 7, 2019|via=www.reuters.com}}</ref> Written and directed by the German theater and film director [[:de:Gil Mehmert|Gil Mehmert]] (converted Sönke Wortmann's film "Das Wunder von Bern" into a musical, 2014). The lyrics are by Frank Ramond, with the music by [[Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen]] (wrote the music for "[[99 Luftballons]]" by [[Nena (band)|Nena]]). On 22 February 2020 the musical was premiered at the theatre St. Gallen in the presence of Waris Dirie.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/kultur/musik-gaensehautmomente-beim-musical-wuestenblume-dpa.urn-newsml-dpa-com-20090101-200223-99-32980|title=Gänsehautmomente beim Musical "Wüstenblume"|first=Süddeutsche|last=Zeitung|website=Süddeutsche.de|date=23 February 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.suedostschweiz.ch/kultur-musik/2020-02-23/wuestenblume-waris-diries-leben-als-musical-in-st-gallen|title="Wüstenblume" - Waris Diries Leben als Musical in St. Gallen|website=www.suedostschweiz.ch|date=23 February 2020 }}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===
* {{Cite book |last=Zabus |first=Chantal |title=Africa and Its Significant Others |year=2003 |publisher=Rodopi |isbn=978-90-420-1029-1 |chapter=Acquiring Body |pages=61–76 |editor-last=Hoving |editor-first=Isabel}}


==External links==
==External links==
*{{commons category-inline}}
*[http://www.waris-dirie-foundation.com/ Waris Dirie Foundation]
{{wikiquote}}
*{{fashionmodel|id=Waris_Dirie|name=Waris Dirie}}
*[http://www.desertflowerfoundation.org/ Desert Flower Foundation]
*{{Fashionmodel}}
*[http://www.fgmnetwork.org/articles/Waris.html Reader's Digest version of Desert Flower]
*[http://www.fgmnetwork.org/articles/Waris.html Reader's Digest version of Desert Flower]
*{{IMDb name|0909909}}

{{Female genital mutilation}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Dirie, Waris}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dirie, Waris}}
[[Category:1965 births]]
[[Category:1965 births]]
[[Category:Somali novelists]]
[[Category:Ethnic Somali people]]
[[Category:Austrian novelists]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Circumcision]]
[[Category:People from Galkayo]]
[[Category:Somali female models]]
[[Category:Somalian emigrants to Austria]]
[[Category:Austrian female models]]
[[Category:Austrian female models]]
[[Category:Austrian women novelists]]

[[Category:Somalian actresses]]
[[da:Waris Dirie]]
[[Category:Austrian film actresses]]
[[de:Waris Dirie]]
[[Category:Activists against female genital mutilation]]
[[es:Waris Dirie]]
[[Category:Austrian women's rights activists]]
[[fa:واریس دیری]]
[[Category:Naturalised citizens of Austria]]
[[fr:Waris Dirie]]
[[Category:Somalian female models]]
[[it:Waris Dirie]]
[[Category:Somalian women novelists]]
[[nl:Waris Dirie]]
[[Category:Somalian women's rights activists]]
[[ja:ワリス・ディリー]]
[[Category:20th-century Austrian novelists]]
[[pl:Waris Dirie]]
[[Category:21st-century Austrian novelists]]
[[pt:Waris Dirie]]
[[Category:20th-century Somalian women writers]]
[[ro:Waris Dirie]]
[[Category:20th-century Somalian writers]]
[[sr:Варис Дирије]]
[[Category:21st-century Somalian women writers]]
[[fi:Waris Dirie]]
[[Category:21st-century Somalian writers]]
[[sv:Waris Dirie]]
[[Category:Somalian health activists]]
[[Category:Violence against women in Somalia]]
[[Category:Austrian women activists]]
[[Category:Somalian women activists]]

Latest revision as of 12:07, 27 November 2024

Waris Dirie
Dirie in 2018
Born (1965-10-21) 21 October 1965 (age 59)
Galkayo, Somalia
Occupation(s)Model, social activist, author, actress, UN Special Ambassador and lawyer. (1997–2003)
TitleChevalier of the Légion d'honneur
Children2

Waris Dirie (Somali: Waris Diiriye; born 21 October 1965) is a Somali model, author, actress and human rights activist in the fight against female genital mutilation (FGM). From 1997 to 2003, she was a UN special ambassador against FGM. In 2002 she founded her own organization in Vienna, the Desert Flower Foundation. She has won numerous awards recognizing her work on eradicating FGM, including the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (2007).

Born in Somalia, she moved to London where she began her modeling career. She was a model for top brands such as Chanel, Levi's, L'Oréal and Revlon. As a model, Dirie was the first black woman to appear in an Oil of Olay advertisement. In 1987, Dirie played a minor role in the James Bond film The Living Daylights.

In 1997, at the height of her modeling career, Dirie spoke publicly for the first time with the women's magazine Marie Claire about the FGM that she had undergone as a child, and would become a UN special ambassador against FGM that same year. She has created a platform for raising awareness about FGM that includes numerous foundations, campaigns, books, and documentaries. Her first book, Desert Flower (1998), is an autobiography that went on to become an international bestseller, selling over 11 million copies worldwide, and inspired the film Desert Flower (2009). She created two foundations: Desert Flower Foundation, an organisation whose goal is to eradicate female genital mutilation worldwide, and the Desert Dawn Foundation, which raises money for schools and clinics in her native Somalia.

Early life

[edit]

Dirie was born as one of twelve children into a nomadic family in 1965 in the area of Galkayo. Her first name, Waris, means desert flower.

In her autobiography, Dirie explained how as a four-year-old, she was raped by her cousin.[1] After the rape took place, Dirie underwent an infibulation procedure to remove her labia and suture her vulva, following cultural ideals of purity (taharah) and shame (ebwaye).[1] Describing the procedure, Dirie said that she was blindfolded but allowed to experience the procedure with her other senses: "It's like somebody is slicing through the meat of your thigh, or cutting off your arm, except this is the most sensitive part of your body". She also described herself fainting and having an out-of-body experience.[2]

At the age of thirteen, she fled through the desert to Mogadishu in order to escape an arranged marriage to a 60-year-old man. She first stayed there with relatives, although her escape was not tolerated.

One of her uncles, who was then the Somali ambassador to the United Kingdom, was looking for a maid. With the help of her aunt, she convinced her uncle to hire her and take her to London, where she worked at her uncle's house for little pay. After her uncle's four-year term, Dirie left and lived in a number of unstable housing arrangements, later renting a room in a YMCA. She earned her living as a cleaner in a local McDonald's. She also began evening classes to learn English.[3][4]

Career

[edit]

Modeling success

[edit]

Aged 18, Dirie was by chance discovered by photographer Mike Goss, as she stood waiting for her charge outside of his daughter's school. Through getting the children to translate for them, Goss persuaded Dirie to model for him. Afterwards, he helped her get a portfolio together and get her representation, although a lot of modelling agencies claimed there was 'no call for black models'. One of her first modelling jobs was for Terence Donovan, who photographed her in 1987 together with the then still unknown model Naomi Campbell for the title of the Pirelli Calendar. From there, Dirie's modeling career took off, she soon became a successful model, appearing in advertisements for top brands such as Chanel, Levi's, L'Oréal and Revlon.[3][4]

As a model, Dirie was the first black woman to appear in an Oil of Olay advertisement.[5] She has described the catwalk as her favorite part of modeling, but she has a lesser opinion of the casting process, which she described as "mostly about disappointment".[5] Because of her previous nomadic lifestyle, coupled with the poor nutrition she had at the time, she developed bowed legs. By the time she considered surgery to have them fixed, her bones had set and surgery was not an option. Over time, she incorporated her legs into her identity, coming to see them as an identifier of her nomadic history and of her African heritage.[5] In 1987, Dirie played a minor role in the James Bond film The Living Daylights. She also appeared on the runways of London, Milan, Paris and New York City, and in fashion magazines such as Elle, Glamour and Vogue. This was followed in 1995 by a BBC documentary entitled A Nomad in New York about her modeling career.[3][4]

FGM activism and authorship

[edit]

After experiencing painful menstruation, Dirie sought the advice of several doctors, but she declined to speak about the female genital mutilation that she had endured as a child. She eventually saw a doctor to have her vulva reopened.[6] From that point, she no longer found menstruation or urination painful.[7] She described the change as a "new freedom".[6] In 1997, at the height of her modeling career, Dirie spoke for the first time with Laura Ziv of the women's magazine Marie Claire about the FGM that she had undergone as a child,[3][4] at the age of five along with her two sisters.[8] That same year, Dirie became a UN envoy for the abolition of FGM. She later paid her mother a visit in her native Somalia.[3][4] She instructed her mother to intervene if anyone she knew were to undergo FGM, and her mother eventually asked for her forgiveness for subjecting her to the treatment.[9]

In 1998, Dirie coauthored her first book along with nonfiction author Cathleen Miller:[10] Desert Flower, an autobiography that went on to become an international bestseller.[3] Over 11 million copies have been sold worldwide to date, 3 million in Germany alone. She later released other successful books including Desert Dawn, Letter to My Mother and Desert Children, the latter of which was launched in tandem with a European campaign against FGM. Dirie published her second autobiography, Desert Dawn, in 2002, four years after her first.[11] The same year, she founded the Desert Flower Foundation in Vienna. The foundation collects money to raise awareness about the worldwide problem of FGM and to help those affected. In the same year, she received the Corine Literature Prize.

In 2004, she received the World Social Award by Mikhail Gorbachev at the Women's World Award Gala in Hamburg, Germany.[12] Dirie opened the World Conference against FGM in Nairobi, delivered a much-noticed speech, and published for the first time the Waris-Dirie Manifesto against FGM. The Austrian Federal President Heinz Fischer awarded her the Romero Prize on behalf of the Austrian Catholic Men's Movement. In 2006, she addressed the assembled ministers of all EU Member States in Brussels. The European Union then put the fight against female genital mutilation on its agenda, after which laws were tightened up and preventive measures initiated in many European countries. In 2007, the Arab channel Al Jazeera invited Waris Dirie to the popular talk show by Riz Khan. She spoke for the first time on an Arab channel in front of over 100 million viewers about the taboo topic "Female Genital Mutilation".[13]

In 2009, Desert Flower, a feature-length film based on Waris' book Desert Flower was released, with the Ethiopian supermodel Liya Kebede playing her.[14] Directed by Sherry Hormann, the film was produced by Oscar winner Peter Herrmann. Benjamin Herrmann and Waris Dirie were co-producers. The movie has so far been released in 20 countries including France, Spain, Israel, Greece, Poland and Brazil. In January 2010, it won the Bavarian Film Awards in Munich in the "Best Movie" category.[15] It was also nominated for a Film Award in Gold in the "Outstanding Feature Film" category at the German Film Awards, and won the Audience Award in the "Best European Film" category at the San Sebastián International Film Festival.[16]

In 2010, Dirie was appointed Ambassador of Peace and Security in Africa by the African Union.[17]

Humanitarian work and campaigns

[edit]

Dirie has campaigned extensively to draw attention to female genital mutilation. In 2002 Dirie founded the Desert Flower Foundation in Vienna, an organisation whose goal is to eradicate female genital mutilation worldwide. The Foundation's work is financed by donations. She also started the Desert Dawn Foundation, which raises money for schools and clinics in her native Somalia,[4] and supports the Zeitz Foundation, an organization focused on sustainable development and conservation.

In January 2009 Dirie became a founding member of the PPR Foundation for Women’s Dignity and Rights, an organization of French tycoon François-Henri Pinault (CEO of PPR) and his wife, Hollywood actress Salma Hayek.[18] In 2010, she campaigned with "Stop FGM Now" in collaboration with the Berlin agency Heymann Brandt de Gelmini.[19] This initiative was awarded the prize for "Best NGO Social Media Campaign" by the German Federal Government. "Together for African Women" followed in 2011, a collaboration with the Hamburg agency Jung von Matt and the laundry label Mey.[20]

After the rescue of Desert Flower Safa from FGM in 2014, the sponsorship programme "Save A Little Desert Flower" was launched.

In March 2019 came the much-acclaimed campaign "End FGM" with the British lingerie label Coco de Mer. Dirie posed for the company's collection (as the successor to Pamela Anderson) and was staged by photographer Rankin[21][22] Rankin also produced the campaign's short film. The initiative was awarded the if Social Impact Prize 2019 by the iF International Forum Design[23] headquartered in Hanover and was supported with prize money. For Dirie the photo shoot with Rankin in London was a comeback as a model.[24][25]

Desert Flower Centers

[edit]

There are a number of Desert Flower centers throughout Europe:

  • On 11 September 2013, Dirie as patron opened the world's first holistic medical center for the treatment and care of FGM victims in Berlin together with the Waldfriede Hospital as a cooperation hospital of the Desert Flower Foundation. The Desert Flower Center[26] was awarded the Louise Schroeder Medal by the State of Berlin in 2016.[27]
  • In 2014, the Desert Flower Surgical Training Center for surgeons, gynaecologists, urologists and nursing staff was established in Amsterdam together with the Desert Flower Foundation BENELUX.
  • The Desert Flower Center Scandinavia was established in 2015 in cooperation with the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm.
  • In 2017 the Centre Fleur du Desert opened with the Fondation Fleur du Desert in the women's shelter at the Hôpital Delafontaine in Paris Saint-Denis. The Centre Fleur du Desert was visited by French President Emmanuel Macron in December 2017.[28]

Education projects in Sierra Leone

[edit]

In 2016 Dirie and the team of the Desert Flower Foundation decided to make the topic "Education in Africa" the focus of their work. Through the sponsorship project "Save A Little Desert Flower" 1,000 girls could be saved from FGM in Sierra Leone.[29][30] The construction of the first three "Desert Flower schools" in Sierra Leone was announced in early 2019.[31] Diries Desert Flower Foundation is also building a "Safe House", where FGM victims find refuge and protection. There is also a library and a computer centre. In addition, 10,000 copies of Waris Dirie's reading book "My Africa - The Journey" with Desert Flower educational boxes will be distributed to 34 schools in Sierra Leone.

Awards

[edit]

Dirie has received many prizes and awards for her humanitarian work and books including:

  • Woman of the Year Award (1998) by Glamour magazine.[32][33]
  • Corine Award (2002) of the umbrella association of the German bookselling trade.[34]
  • Women's World Award (2004) from former President of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev.[35]
  • Bishop Óscar Romero Award (2005) by the Catholic Church.
  • Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (2007) from former President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy.[36]
  • Prix des Générations (2007) by the World Demographic Association.[37]
  • Martin Buber Gold Medal from the Euriade Foundation (2008),[38] founded by Werner Janssen in 1981.
  • Gold medal of the President of the Republic of Italy (2010) for her achievements as a human rights activist.[39]
  • Thomas Dehler Prize (2013) of the Thomas Dehler Foundation, presented by Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger[40]
  • Woman Of The Year Campaigning Award (2013) in London presented by Sacla
  • International Freedom Prize (2014) presented at the House of Lords in London by British Minister Lynne Featherstone[41]
  • Women for Women Award (2017), awarded in Vienna by the magazine "look![42]
  • Donna dell'Anno (2018) in Italy[43]
  • Million Chances Award (2018) donated by the Fritz Henkel Foundation[44]
  • Sunhak Peace Prize (2019) for her commitment to women's rights, awarded in Seoul.[45][46]

Personal life

[edit]

Contrary to popular belief, Dirie is not related to fellow Somali model Iman. In her book Desert Flower, Dirie states that Iman's mother was good friends with her aunt, a relative with whom she once lived during her time in London.

Since 2009 Dirie has lived in Gdańsk, Poland. She also lived temporarily in Vienna. She is the mother of two sons, Aleeke and Leon. Since March 2005, Dirie has held Austrian citizenship.[47]

Attack and disappearance

[edit]

In March 2004, Dirie was attacked in her home in Vienna. A 26-year-old Portuguese man was held in custody after having apparently stalked her 1,000 miles across Europe, eventually gaining access to her apartment by climbing through a neighbour's window. "She was so frightened and in shock that she let him in," a police spokesman said. Dirie apparently suffered minor injuries when her assailant threw her to the floor. The attacker then left in a taxi, only to return later to smash one of the building's ground-floor windows. He was arrested when neighbours called the police[48] and was later given a five-month suspension. It was reported that the suspect had met Dirie six months earlier when his brother was working at her previous residence in Wales. He later broke into that home and stole items of her clothing.[49]

In another incident in early March 2008, Dirie went missing for three days while staying in Brussels. She was found by a Brussels policeman.[50]

Filmography, books and a musical

[edit]

Films

[edit]
  • The Living Daylights (1987) - In the 15th James Bond film, Dirie plays Waris Walsh in a supporting role.
  • A Nomad in New York (1995) - BBC documentary about the career of Waris Dirie.
  • Desert Flower (2009) - drama based on her autobiographical novel and bestseller.

Books

[edit]
The book that describes Dirie's genital mutilation, her adventurous escape through the Somali desert and the rise to a world-famous supermodel, becomes an international bestseller and appears in over 50 licensed editions. Over 11 million copies have been sold worldwide to date, 3 million in Germany alone (number 1 on the Spiegel bestseller list from 11 to 17 January and from 25 January to 18 July 1999).
  • Desert Dawn (2002) with Jeanne D’Haem
20 years after her escape, Dirie decides to visit her family in Somalia. A dangerous adventure, as Somalia has been plagued by civil war and famine for years. Her second book, which will also become an international bestseller (first place on the Spiegel bestseller list from 8 to 28 April and from 13 May to 23 June 2002), describes the trip to her home country.
  • Desert Children (2005)
With her third book Dirie starts a Europe-wide campaign against FGM. Genital mutilation is not only practiced in Africa, but also in the western world. It reports on encounters with victims and perpetrators, on their research, setbacks and successes.
  • Letter to my mother (2007)
Dirie says about this book on the website of the Desert Flower Foundation: "This is my most personal book. There are simply wounds that don't want to heal. My longing was great to meet my mother again, to forgive my mother, but I had to realize that love and suffering are often inextricably linked. Working on this book was a painful but vital experience for me."
  • Schwarze Frau, weißes Land (2010)
In this book Dirie talks about her life in her new, white homeland - and about her longing for Africa and her deep desire to help her home continent free itself from poverty, outdated traditions and dependence.
  • Saving Safa (2013)
Little Safa comes from a bitterly poor family in Djibouti. Raised in a slum, she is selected for the role of little Waris Dirie in the biopic of the world bestseller Desert Flower. The dramatic scene, in which the little girl is violently circumcised, makes people cry in cinemas all over the world. In real life, Safa is still intact. Dirie is all the more horrified when she hears that Safa's genital mutilation is imminent. And she does everything in her power to save the girl from this cruel practice.
  • My Africa - The Journey (2017)
Together with her Desert Flower Foundation team, Dirie publishes her first reading book for children at African schools. The book tells the story of the little "desert flower" Waris and her brother Mo, who go on a journey together to discover their home continent Africa. On their adventures they get to know the flora and fauna of Africa. In addition to the story, the book also contains numerous writing exercises, which are intended to promote the reading and writing skills of children.

Musical

[edit]

On 7 March 2019, in the presence of Waris Dirie, it was announced at a press conference at a theatre St. Gallen, Switzerland that her extraordinary life story would become a musical.[51] Written and directed by the German theater and film director Gil Mehmert (converted Sönke Wortmann's film "Das Wunder von Bern" into a musical, 2014). The lyrics are by Frank Ramond, with the music by Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen (wrote the music for "99 Luftballons" by Nena). On 22 February 2020 the musical was premiered at the theatre St. Gallen in the presence of Waris Dirie.[52][53]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Zabus 2003, p. 67.
  2. ^ Zabus 2003, p. 68.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Stellan Consult Limited (2008). "Desert Flower". Parents (265–270): 76.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Stange, Mary Zeiss; Oyster, Carol K. (2011). Sloan, Jane E. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Women in Today's World, Volume 1. SAGE. p. 402. ISBN 978-1412976855.
  5. ^ a b c Zabus 2003, p. 71.
  6. ^ a b Zabus 2003, p. 69.
  7. ^ Zabus 2003, p. 70.
  8. ^ Wendlandt, Astrid (8 March 2010). "International Women's Day absurd says supermodel". Reuters. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  9. ^ "My mother said 'forgive me' for my FGM". BBC News. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  10. ^ "DESERT FLOWER". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  11. ^ Zabus 2003, p. 61.
  12. ^ "Die WOMEN´S WORLD AWARDS-Preisträgerinnen 2004 stehen fest". OTS.at.
  13. ^ English, Al Jazeera (17 April 2012). "Riz Khan- FGM Waris Dirie- 02 August 07 - video Dailymotion". Dailymotion.
  14. ^ Hofmann, Katja (2008-02-09). "Model Liya Kebede to star in 'Flower'". Variety.com. Retrieved 2014-04-17.
  15. ^ "Wüstenblume – A-Z – Filme – Österreichisches Filminstitut". Filminstitut.at. Retrieved 2012-02-20.
  16. ^ "Desert Flower". IMDb. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  17. ^ "AU appointed peace ambassadors for Africa". Afronline – The Voice Of Africa. Archived from the original on 2022-11-25. Retrieved 2019-09-13.
  18. ^ "PPR Foundation for Women's Rights and Dignity". Ppr.com. 2014-02-21. Retrieved 2014-04-17.
  19. ^ "Heymann Brandt De Gelmini engagiert sich gegen Genitalverstümmelung". www.horizont.net.
  20. ^ ""Wüstenblume"-Autorin Waris Dirie präsentiert Dessous für Mey". www.horizont.net.
  21. ^ "Waris Dirie, Coco de Mer, and Rankin Are Fighting for Women's Rights". Daily Front Row. March 7, 2019.
  22. ^ "Model And Activist Waris Dirie Calls On Women To Join The Fight To End FGM". British Vogue. 7 March 2019.
  23. ^ "Supported by iF projects 2019". iF WORLD DESIGN GUIDE.[permanent dead link‍]
  24. ^ Dirie, Waris (March 12, 2019). "Waris Dirie: Europe's FGM rates are rising and we must fight it". Harper's BAZAAR.
  25. ^ "Comeback von Waris Dirie: Musical und Dessous im Namen der "Wüstenblume"". kurier.at. 26 March 2019.
  26. ^ "Desert Flower Center Waldfriede, DFC Berlin". www.dfc-waldfriede.de.
  27. ^ "Abgeordnetenhaus von Berlin – Louise-Schroeder-Medaille 2016". www.parlament-berlin.de. 9 March 2016.
  28. ^ "Quel honneur! Le Président Français au Centre Fleur du Désert - Desert Flower Foundation". www.desertflowerfoundation.org.
  29. ^ "Desert Flower Foundation increases global awareness about FGM, makes impact in West Africa".
  30. ^ Voss, Huberta von (March 16, 2019). "Die Wüste bebt". Die Welt – via www.welt.de.
  31. ^ "First "Desert Flower School" is at the heart of our educational initiative - Desert Flower Foundation". www.desertflowerfoundation.org.
  32. ^ "30 Years of WOTY: Unforgettable Moments From Every Glamour Women of the Year Awards". glamour.com. 6 October 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  33. ^ "Waris Dirie: 'Female genital mutilation is pure violence against girls'". Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  34. ^ Corine Award Archived 2019-04-25 at the Wayback Machine Corine Award 2002 Waris Dirie for Desert Dawn
  35. ^ "Women's World Awards". Womensworldawards.com. Retrieved 2014-04-17.
  36. ^ Communiqué de la Présidence de la République annonçant la remise de décoration par M. Nicolas SARKOZY, Président de la République July 12, 2007.
  37. ^ "World Demographic Association". Archived from the original on 2009-06-04. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  38. ^ Martin Buber Foundation Martin Buber Gold Medal 2007 for Waris Dirie
  39. ^ "La top model somala Waris Dirie: "Chiedo aiuto al Papa per salvare le bambine africane dall'infibulazione" | Blog Quotidiano.net". Club.quotidiano.net. Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2012-02-20.
  40. ^ "Thomas-Dehler-Preis 2013 geht an Waris Dirie". Die Presse. July 8, 2013.
  41. ^ "Ex-supermodel Waris Dirie says FGM can end in her lifetime". Reuters. January 29, 2015 – via www.reuters.com.
  42. ^ ""Auch in Österreich ein Problem": Kämpferin für Rechte von Mädchen". Die Presse. November 29, 2017.
  43. ^ "Waris Dirie, Isoke Aikpitanyi e Margarita Meira: sono tre le Donne dell'anno 2018 - La Stampa". lastampa.it. March 16, 2018.
  44. ^ Meissner, Paulina (November 7, 2018). "Schwarzkopf "Million Chances Award": "Wüstenblume" Waris Dirie wird ausgezeichnet". Express.de.[permanent dead link‍]
  45. ^ Committee, The Sunhak Peace Prize. "The Sunhak Peace Prize for 2019 Awarded to Waris Dirie and Dr. Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina". www.prnewswire.com (Press release).
  46. ^ "Der in Seoul veranstaltete Sunhak Peace Prize für 2019 wurde an Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina und Waris Dirie verliehen". OTS.at.
  47. ^ NACHRICHTEN, n-tv. "Diries neue Staatsbürgerschaft". n-tv.de.
  48. ^ "Somalian-born author attacked by stalker", The Guardian, 11 March 2004.
  49. ^ Model's stalker had previous arrests BBC News, March 11, 2004.
  50. ^ "Ex-model Waris Dirie found in Brussels". usatoday30.usatoday.com. 7 March 2008. Retrieved 2019-09-19.
  51. ^ "Model turned activist Waris Dirie says world is ignoring the crime..." Reuters. March 7, 2019 – via www.reuters.com.
  52. ^ Zeitung, Süddeutsche (23 February 2020). "Gänsehautmomente beim Musical "Wüstenblume"". Süddeutsche.de.
  53. ^ ""Wüstenblume" - Waris Diries Leben als Musical in St. Gallen". www.suedostschweiz.ch. 23 February 2020.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Zabus, Chantal (2003). "Acquiring Body". In Hoving, Isabel (ed.). Africa and Its Significant Others. Rodopi. pp. 61–76. ISBN 978-90-420-1029-1.
[edit]
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